I own 2 low cost dac which none sound digital as thin or agressive or displeasant way...
Those who said no low cost dac sound good did not buy the good one...( For sure you dont replace a TOP high end dac in a system with a Hidizs or with the french NOS dac, it will be preposterous proposition )
The French Nos dac TDA 1543 by C. Mariac bought for peanuts drive my speakers computer system and secondary headphone K240 sextett...
I dont know how will sound the Hidizs AP 80 pro dac if not paired with my AKG K340...
With them it is perfect synergy because instead of my warmer french NOS dac i need with them a clear ( more analytical ) dac.... I need also an equaliser which is integrated in the Hidizs and i need the tone controls of my Sansui, to optimize the K340, probably one of the best headphone ever designed which trash anything i ever owned (10 headphones).I dislike headphone but now my high quality system for music is headphone, it is not on par with my first dedicated acoustic room for sure but not too far ...
I dont claim that my 2 dac are any other thing than entry level but good...
In my system my Sansui alpha which drive the K340 as the sun drive a planet, and the K340 are top audiophile product ...Better gear exist but open your wallet to the max to upgrade them from 500 bucks i paid to many ten thousand bucks )... How many headphone gave natural timbre, deep bass, and "out of the head" soundstage, as if you were there, in good recordings ? Not many at any price...
At low cost synergy between different dacs and your gear matter more...
At high end level, things are easier to match because of ultra design high quality...
As my TOP dac if money is not important,I will bet on the dac created by Dr. Choueiri....Because of his acoustics tools integrated in it if i could buy one, over anything else at any price...(i spoke about my needs not all people has the same needs)
But most people dont know Choueiri genius yet so much.... Acoustics is underestimated compared to gear design...
I do not underestimated acoustics , then my top dac choice even if i never heard it will be Choueiri...
I dont need to heard it to understand what it do if you understand basic acoustics...
I hope my suggestion will push people to read about it and go to listen to it...Choueiri is in US... I am in Canada...